Only Wildlife and Whale Watching Tour Leaving from Seattle
Seattle, USA
- 3 to 5 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
You don’t have to venture into the San Juan Islands to see whales in their natural habitat—with this tour, you can board a whale-watching cruise right in downtown Seattle. You'll spend 3 to 5 hours onboard, looking for whales and learning about the area’s ecosystem from an expert naturalist. Choose from budget-friendly standard seating or pay extra for premium window seats. Food and beverages are available for purchase onboard.
- Take a whale-watching cruise straight from downtown's Pier 69
- Choose from standard or premium seating options
- Learn about whales from an onboard naturalist
- Food and drink available for purchase onboard
What's Included
- Exhilarating 3 to 5 hour whale watching tour with an expert onboard naturalist
- Includes all applicable taxes and surcharges
- Food and Beverage for purchase
- Gratuities appreciated but not mandatory
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 2701 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98121, USA
Please arrive at the FRS Clipper Terminal, located on Seattle's waterfront at Pier 69, 45 minutes prior to scheduled departure time.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Ticket Redemption Point
2701 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98121, USA
Itinerary
Pike Place Market (Pass By)
Space Needle (Pass By)
1
Salish Sea
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Seattle Aquarium (Pass By)
Seattle Waterfront (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Heather_D
This was sooooo amazing ! The charter boat was great and we got to see whales, eagles and sea lions ! The food and drinks were excellent as well ! I would do this tour again ! It was one of my favorites. Tour guides were great and very informative!
Reviews
4.2
based on 248 reviews
Mark_B, Nov 2025
Very nice boat. We saw a pod of 9-10 Orcas (2 families). Naturalist knew all about each whale and provided detailed info about all of the adults. Downside was about 90 minutes each way to see the whales. Very little narrative about the communities we passed by, history of the area, etc. which we would have appreciated because it was our first visit to the Northwest. The narrative would made this a 5-star trip.
shadan_A, Oct 2025
A bit underwhelming since we didn’t see many whales. There was just one whale roaming and not enough time.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry this trip didn’t meet expectations. Whale activity can vary day to day, and we cannot control their behavior, but our team always works hard to find and spend time with wildlife whenever possible. We appreciate you joining us and hope you’ll consider giving us another opportunity in the future.
Becky_G, Oct 2025
Wonderful trip. Recommend. Comfortable seats. Knowledgeable staff. Lots of pictures of a humpback whale.
ilaseo_L, Oct 2025
You may not see much of the whales. The weather was nice. The premium window seats are not a priority as most of my viewing was from the observation area on the bow.
Joseph_G, Oct 2025
Knowledgeable crew added to a great experience. It was quite crowded but that did not take anything away. We only saw one humpback but it was active and gave us plenty of opportunity to watch and photograph.
Paddywagon4217, Sep 2025
Nice tour, we did see whales which was the purpose of our trip. Viewing on deck was crowded but we did see both killer whales and humpback. The guide told us she was getting us great pictures, so we did not bother to take any. Did not realize that they were selling the pictures we thought a download was included. The snacks and drinks on board are reasonably priced. Do not bother getting premium seating, no early boarding and you are on deck for watching.
Peter_G, Sep 2025
Excellent whale watching tour with a friendly staff and excellent views of the water. I learned a lot and also saw 2 types of whales, orca and a humpback whale. I also like that the staff takes photos of the whales that are spotted too.
Katherine_D, Sep 2025
Knowledgeable friendly staff, with a clean boat. Food and drink prices were reasonable and we saw both killer whales and a humpback!
Mariana_F, Sep 2025
Save your money! You won't see much, if anything, and they don't do refunds if you don't see anything. We saw one tiny little whale from about a mile away :-( and for about 10 seconds. Not worth the money or time! We were on the boat for 6 hours!
Kim_J, Sep 2025
The Captain & crew were great! We were very pleased to have spent an hour with the Biggs Orca pod #120. Then down past Tacoma for a rare appearance from Malekai, a humpback!
Bring a small pair of binoculars . The viewing platforms will be crowded and your cell phone cameras won't produce very watchable results. If you are lucky enough to see some excellent activities, buy the professional photographers shots.
Sara_S, Sep 2025
I would highly recommend taking something for motion sickness ahead of time. They do offer some on board, but it typically takes an hour for it to kick in, so the first hour was relatively uncomfortable. But otherwise great! They guarantee that you will see something, and we were able to see a humpback whale, a few porpoises, some harbor seals, and jellyfish!
Katie_Z, Sep 2025
Loved it! Good size boat with many viewing points, as well as staff that are dedicated to turning the boat so everyone can see the sights. We saw a humpback whale almost immediately upon entering our looking area, and got to watch for many minutes as it hung out near us, as well as several tail flukes. The naturalist on board, Allison, had a ton of great information, and the figurines and books were an added bonus for my toddler. We also got mini foam orcas for my sons as we disembarked!
Lisa_M, Sep 2025
We had a fantastic whale tour!! Really fun day all around with perfect weather also!! Would do this trip again!
Phillip_B, Sep 2025
We saw three sightings of Orca whales. It may have been three distinctly different
Orcas or one very active Orca.
The FRS CLIPPER had a biology
educator that shared information regarding
Orca behavior and Orca research.
Keelyn_W, Sep 2025
If I had not been on another whale watching tour, I wouldn’t have anything to compare it too. It was ok but I didn’t feel it was worth the money.
Lydia_S, Sep 2025
The staff were amazing. We just didn’t see any activity except for 3-4 pop ups of minkos whales. Was given a voucher that’s good for a year but not living in the area not sure when I’ll be able to come back. Kinda wish there was an option of getting maybe 50% back of cash back vs voucher. You just really have to be prepared that you might not see whales.
Michael_S, Sep 2025
It is a most relaxing way to spend an afternoon looking for whales and wild life. The boat is spacious, clean and comfortable. The crew is very knowledgeable and shares their experiences. We highly recommend this trip.
Gynjer_P, Sep 2025
The boat and crew were great. Small enough to move around and have great viewings. Food was delicious and the weather was amazing. I wouldn't spend the money again for the premier seats, once you are looking for whales, you are up and moving around.
Sabrina_W, Sep 2025
Outstanding experience! There’s always a chance the wildlife will not cooperate but we got lucky! Wonderful crew and the onboard naturalist was very knowledgeable.
Susan_H, Sep 2025
A very comfortable trip, with great staff who were knowledgable and who made sure we had a wonderful experience!
Amy_S, Sep 2025
We were able to spot some him back whales and seals on our trip. The crew were very knowledgeable about the different animals, I especially enjoyed learning about their natural behaviors in the wild.
kitsa_S, Sep 2025
Great trip
Boat was very comfortable
Food available
Knowledgeable staff
Safe travel
Safe travel
Beautiful scenery
Janet_K, Sep 2025
The trip can last from 4-6 hours depending on the wildlife. Ours lasted 6 hours, which is fine, very comfortable and relaxing. We weren’t having any luck finding whales, but the Captain was notified that a large humpback was spotted back where we were. So the boat turned back into the sound and we got real close to the huge spouting humpback! Very exciting and worth it to go back and spend more time out there. Bring warm clothes if you want to stand out on the bow. They have decent food and drinks on board.
Bambi_L, Sep 2025
We almost didn’t get to see a whale and at the last little bit of time, we got to see one. Far away, but still!
Mark_M, Sep 2025
The crew went above and beyond to ensure we got to see the whales. The weather was not conducive due to the heavy fog so another boat was called in to assist with the whale spotting. At the end, we got to see our fair share of these beautiful mammals.
I was not a fan of their seating arrangement. We sat facing backwards so we spent most of our time standing or on the upper deck.
Craig_M, Sep 2025
We’re able to see plenty of Orca’s and several decided to narrow the 200 yard buffer zone. Crew were all friendly and professional. Though it was bit pricey for my party of six (roughly $1K) …. puts this out of reach for many families
Donald_S, Sep 2025
Great way to spend 3.5 hours. I enjoyed the time on the water, the orcas were difficult to track but the naturalist kept things entertaining, the galley was a good with reasonable lines.
Sylvia_B, Aug 2025
The boat ride was lovely and very informative. The food was better than I expected, and I would do it again.
Sahirul_H, Aug 2025
Gather prior information about parking lot, if you are driving to the venue. Book window seats for better view. Middle seats not only prevent from a better view but also too close to have comfort while seating across fellow passenger.
Myryam_F, Aug 2025
The whales are seen from a far. It was almost impossible to see over the crowd of people on deck. I am 5’1 and the boat did not rotate so all passengers could see the whales from their side, I had to walk to the the side of the boat closest to the whales but could not see anything over the people who were seated there already.
From $154.97
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Only Wildlife and Whale Watching Tour Leaving from Seattle
248
5 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$154.97
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Hiking Tours
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- Full-day Tours
- Walking Tours
- Bus Tours
- Day Trips
- Outdoor Activities
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private and Luxury
- On the Ground
- Seattle
- Hiking Tours - Port Angeles
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Port Angeles
- Full-day Tours - Port Angeles
- Walking Tours - Port Angeles
- Bus Tours - Port Angeles
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - San Juan Islands
- Full-day Tours - San Juan Islands
- Bus Tours - San Juan Islands
Attractions in Seattle, USA
- Pacific Science Center Tours & Tickets
- Fishermen's Terminal Tours & Tickets
- University of Washington Tours & Tickets
- Ballard District Tours & Tickets
- Chihuly Garden and Glass Tours & Tickets
- Museum of Flight Tours & Tickets
- Seattle Aquarium Tours & Tickets
- Alki Beach Tours & Tickets
- Kerry Park (Franklin Place) Tours & Tickets
- Discovery Park Tours & Tickets
- Gas Works Park Tours & Tickets
- Seattle Cruise Port Tours & Tickets
- Seattle Waterfront Tours & Tickets
- Seattle Great Wheel Tours & Tickets